Beckoning Seas
by eravicis
Summary: Katelyn is a devoted and avid explorer of all things human despite the losses she had sustained from the destruction of her people by the human populace. But with her father and brother missing from home after an exploration, she takes it into her own hands to go the surface to find them. It's when she washes up on shore does she meet Keith, a surfer.
1. Foreword

**Chapter 1: Foreword**

INSERT HUGE SHRUG EMOJI FOR DAYS. I don't know. Somehow, I'm still here.

Anyway, there are influences of the Little Mermaid in here, but most of it is kind of me just making it up as I go. Quite honestly, I inserted some tropes here and there (see how many you guys can find). It may or may not run a little clichéd so if you don't like that, I don't know if this is the fic for you. Laughs.

And fair warning, I _may_ also have some dark themes as I go, but we'll see if I commit or not. And I'm also not good at witty banter so rip me. Otherwise, enjoy the slow burn on my twist of the fantasy for the Little Mermaid, but for Kidge!

There will be my own personal lore that I've come up specifically for this AU and I'll be, sort of, winging it as I go. So please bear with me as I will be trying my best. And don't worry, since it's a fairy tale, there's only happy endings here, in spite of how the original Little Mermaid story ended.

But, enough of that, thank you for joining me on this new adventure!

**Disclaimer**:

_Voltron: Legendary Defender_ and all related characters and elements are the property, copyright, and trademark of Dreamworks, World Eventus Productions, Studio Mir, and no ownership or claim on said property, copyright, or trademark is made or implied by their use in the work(s) of fan fiction presented here. This fan fiction constitutes a personal comment on the aforesaid properties pursuant to the doctrines of fair use and fair comment. This fan fiction is non-commercial, not for sale or profit, and may not be sold or reproduced for commercial purposes.

In other words, I own nothing but the plot.


	2. Change

**Chapter One: Change.**

'Come on, Katie! We can't be out here!'

'Oh, it'll be fine,' she hummed, her voice a telepathic thought radiating out toward her friend. Webbed hands picked up the fallen pieces of old hardware in a sunken ship and placed them into the floating bag slung around her shoulders. She'd have to look at these more in-depth when she got to a safe place.

'For Poseidon's sake, I'm out of here!'

Katie didn't bother looking back to see her friend disappear and leave her behind in the wreckage. Instead, she grinned when she picked up what looked to be a necklace buried underneath a small box. It was undamaged and seemed durable with its black cord with shells decorating it. On the end was a small pendant that was similar in shape with a diamond, but smoothed and rounded on the sides. It was what she had learned that humans had called a surfboard. The surfboard had a red design of what she knew to be a lion, but having never seen one before. Donning the accessory, she explored the rest of the boat until she had her fill of exploring and left.

Glancing up at the surface, she realized it was about that time that she would see the humans out and about. Swimming up topside, she broke the water's surface slowly and positioned herself right by the rocky cliff terrain underneath the boards of wood that they called a pier. And then she waited for them. Right on cue about a half-hour later, the humans came out on their boards to begin their day.

There were three whom she often watched, enjoying their sense of camaraderie that she felt she lacked in the ocean when her folk was too afraid of even conversing with her when she had once expressed her interest in humans. They had viewed humans as despicable creatures and could care less for them. While she agreed that humans were terrible for their lack of care for the ocean and the inhabitants, her observations of these three had proven that they had the potential to be different. There was a sense of belonging, care, and respect when she heard the three of them talk, knowing more about them than they would ever know about her.

Sometimes, the three were joined by a fourth much older male that had a scar across the bridge of his nose and face. He was distinct because she had remembered the faint glimmer of kindness in his eyes that were like her brother, Matt. In a way, she thought that this person and her brother could become the best of friends if they had the opportunity to meet one another.

After setting her bag somewhere safe down below, she swam up and peeked out just over the surface of the water. She tilted her head to see the much darker skin-colored male talk over the calm tides to a bigger male wearing a black suit with yellow accents and a fairer male that wore a black suit with red ones covering much of his skin. "Hunk, we've been over this: you don't mix food _and_ surfing together, ever." His hands swiped horizontally as if he was cutting something with both his hands. His expression was a cross between disbelief and frustration.

Hunk pouted and then looked defiant. "Oh well, I have and I'll be abiding by that thirty-minute rule while you guys just take those waves and I'll watch from here... in peace, thank you very much. Now _shoo."_ His fingers gesture them away.

"Hunk, that defeats the point of us asking you to join us out here," the fair-skinned male said. His dark hair was slick and longer than the others and Katie watched his hands run through his hair to keep it out of his face. He was one that seemed familiar, but she wasn't entirely sure why that was the case.

The one named Hunk—one she was quite fond of herself—said with a lift of his chin and crossing his arms, "Well, I can be the judge at this distance so you guys go and enjoy yourselves and fight each other like normal. It's weird having you guys both gang up on me." He shuddered.

The lankier, but lean short-brown haired male laughed, slapping his hand on Hunk's back. Katie had long since figured out his name was Lance and was the best swimmer of the group. He looked like he was crying with how much he was laughing. Idly, she wondered what it was like to cry.

"Keith," Lance said, looking in his direction.

Keith immediately looked apprehensive. "Yeah?"

"Our usual today?"

A large smirk crossed his features and his back straightened at the challenge. "Of course. Look, here comes a wave now." The three of them looked and already Keith and Lance took off to paddle off to the wave while Hunk remained behind.

Katie continued to observe them from a distance and listening in on their conversations. Often at times, she had to discern the random tidbits of words she didn't quite understand and those were her favorite things to figure out what their purpose was. She wondered what a computer and a smartphone were, seeing as each of those things was something they apparently couldn't carry out to sea, but they sounded amazing with how many features were accessible on it. Though, learning from the many wreckages, she could read their language so she assumed she could read whatever they had well enough. Her need for knowledge was immense and she immersed herself as much as she could among the many wreckages she could find.

She knew she was different, but to see humans that looked around her age struck a chord in her that she wanted to be with them one day. While she had the power to do so, she knew that it was a one time chance and to waste it simply because she _wanted _to rather than _needed _to, was something she had resisted the urge in doing. Her hand moved to the corded pale green bracelet that encompassed her left wrist and felt the warmth of it envelop her, her thumb rubbing on one end.

Watching them for a few waves, she wondered for the umpteenth time of what it would be like to hang out with them until she decided it was time to leave. One day she would get the courage to talk to them, but it wasn't today. Most especially since talking to a human was against their laws, explicitly when in their true mer-forms, and while she was curious about them, she knew could not betray their oldest law.

It was forbidden.

The tide was starting to swell and she felt the waters becoming rougher with each passing second. Looking out to the ocean, her eyes grew wide at the darkening clouds that were quickly approaching. Glancing back to the humans, Hunk was shouting over the rush of water. She herself could barely make out what he was saying.

"Come on! We gotta head back in!"

One of their figures finished had just paddled up beside Hunk and came to a stop. Running a hand through his hair, he looked around. "Where's Keith?"

Hunk pointed to where he was paddling out, waiting for the next large swell that the storm made. Katie looked up when she felt the drops of rain. Soon, the rain began to fall.

"Yo, Keith! We gotta head back!" Hunk shouted again. "Keith is gonna get himself killed if he keeps going out that far."

"But he'll get a killer wave." Lance sounded matter-of-fact, tinged with a bit of envy.

Hunk gave Lance a pointed look. "Shiro would kill me if anything happened to Keith. Oh, oh, let's also not forget your _mom_ will kill me if you do anything stupid, okay? Okay." His expression deadpanned. "So we should go get Keith before anything happens to him."

"Alright, alright." Lance raised his hands in surrender before replacing them back on the board. "That storm rolled in fast though. I thought it wasn't—"

"Keith!"

Katie shot her gaze to where Keith was preparing himself to ride a big wave. But with the rain, it was getting difficult to see. And of all the waves she had watched them ride, this one might be the biggest he had ridden yet.

"Are you kidding me?" Lance groaned when he turned to try and ride the waves back to shore. "Okay, we have to head back. Keith! Keith!"

Both of them shouted for Keith over the swells, but their voices were drowned out by the sound of the rolling waves.

Just as he predicted, a bright light flashed over the dark grey skies and was quickly followed by a crack of thunder that Katie could feel vibrate in her chest. It was close—_too_ close. She watched Keith as he began to ride it and another flash of lightning struck nearby, startling him when the thunder snapped the air. It seemed to have struck him and he lost his footing. He plummeted into the wave.

"Keith!"

Katie could hear their voices shout his name but he had gone under and he was rolling in the undertow. Whether he had been electrocuted or not was too hard to tell, but it was looking grim. When he didn't reappear even when his board surfaced, Katie moved without thinking. Despite the shouting from the other two, she dove under the water and swam swiftly in the direction he had fallen. She spotted him seconds later with his arms reaching up to but was unmoving.

He was knocked unconscious.

Upon closer inspection, if she didn't do anything soon, he'd drown before she could bring him up for air. He was dropping too far deep for him to make it on a trip without taking in too much water. Hardening herself, she swam over and grasped both sides of his face and covered his lips with her own.

Ensuring that both sides of his mouth were covered by hers, the water being cycled out of his system and into the air he so desperately needed. His body twitched and tensed, hands shooting out to grab her but she made no move to dodge it. He was grabbing onto her for his life worth as she gave him air while he was unconscious. When he stopped inhaling air through her like he was gulping with his dying breath, his breathing calmed and began to slow to a rhythmic beat.

His hands relaxed their vice grips on her arms and watched as his eyes fluttered slowly open.

It was brief before his eyes rolled back again and he returned to the unconscious state he was earlier. But, keeping the even breathing pace she had for them, a hand drifted to his upper arm and she slowly swam them over to the pier to hide from the humans that might be onshore. Now above the surface, she adjusted her hold from his face to wrapping her arms around his torso and parted her lips from his. His head rested against her shoulder.

Under the shelter of the pier, the wooden structure groaned in protest under the rapidly gaining speeds of the wind. Peeking out from behind one of the legs that held it over the ocean, she noted that none of the humans were on the shore. Turning back to the male in her arms, she glanced at his sleeping face. She moved aside some of his hair from his face to realize that now that she's seen him this close, he was actually quite handsome. She wondered what she should do now.

No, she shook her head, mentally berating herself. She needed to take him to shelter since the shores would be dangerous but there was none near here that would allow her to watch over him until the storm subsided. The waves were getting rougher and she knew she couldn't just leave him on the beach without endangering him. Tapping a finger to her chin, Katie thought of the possible caves she could hide him until the storm passed.

There was one, she realized, but he wouldn't be able to get out without her help. But, bearing no other option, swam through the rough current of the sea and away from the strong waves as it nears the shore. Keeping Keith's head above the water, she swam until she felt the warm current underneath and shifted Keith in her arms so that his arms wrapped around her. Grasping his face, this time, she gave him a kiss that parted with some energy of her being so that he could breathe underwater.

Confident now that he would no longer be in danger of drowning, she dove and swam through the narrow caverns to a small cave filled with warm water. They broke the surface and she hefted him up onto the sandy shore, letting him rest on his back while she rested beside him. Her eyes drifted to the ceiling, admiring the small crystals that winked at her. They reminded her of a boy she had met so long ago, a human boy who had some of his teeth missing and made a promise.

Rolling onto her side, she propped herself up to look at the sleeping male next to her. She tilted her head and moved aside some more of his hair from his eyes. A pity she couldn't see them. Uncertain of what to do to pass the time, she sat upright and leaned back on her hands. A song began to fill the small cavern, the crystals twinkling in response to the magic of her voice. A soft melody reverberated off the stone walls and the musical jingling of the crystals overhead added to the song like instruments to a tune. Time changed from minutes to a half hour and she abruptly stopped singing.

The waters were calm and that meant it was safe for her to take him back out to shore before the other humans sent their boats out to look for him. Turning to him, she found him still asleep and leaned close. This time, she decided to practice passing her energy once more through a gentle kiss on his forehead. She was startled to see that a strange seven curling symbol appeared and became absorbed into his skin, disappearing from view.

The bracelet that's wrapped around her wrist became heated and she braced it, contemplating its meaning. Maybe Katie will find out later, but for now, she needed to get him to shore.

Waiting for the tide to come in, she dragged the male back into the waters and was relieved to see that he wasn't waking up upon touching the water. There was a brief moment where she had to pause when he made a noise, akin to a grunt and discomfort, but returned to his slumber. Absently, she wondered if he had hit his head on his board.

Minutes later, she dragged him onto the beach, out of the water and away from the view of the buildings nearby so they wouldn't see her. Leaning forward so that her face hovered over his, she hummed a quiet song to gently wake him.

There were no real words and it would fall on his ears sounding like an ancient language. The back of her webbed fingers stroked his cheek and he stirred, leaning into her touch when her fingers warmed from his skin.

With their skin in contact, she murmured into his thoughts, 'Take care of yourself, you hear?' Her fingers traced his cheek and along his jawline, where his hand lifted to grab her hand. Her heart skipped in her chest and she smiled. Good, he was alive and well. Relieved to see him come around, she chuckled. There was shouting in the distance and her eyes darted up to the paths leading to human civilization.

She made a move to pull away, but his grip tightened on her.

Oh dear Poseidon.

Blearily, his eyes slowly slid open, revealing dark grey irises that gradually sharpened with clarity at looking at her face. But the shouting was growing louder and she needed to leave, _now_ or she'd be unable to return to the ocean. With more force, she tugged her hand away the moment his grip slackened and then hopped back into the water. Diving the moment the water became deep enough, she swam underneath the waves and rapidly pushed herself away from the shore as quickly as possible. Eventually, she made it to her usual hiding spot and popped her head out enough to get a look.

Lance and Hunk were running on the shore, Hunk running in one direction toward Keith and Lance in the other. When Hunk found Keith lying on the ground, he shouted for Lance. He promptly turned around. Both of them knelt down beside the surfer, checking him over and Hunk helped him to stand by slinging an arm around his shoulder. After watching them for a few moments longer and confident that Keith had made it safely out of harm's way, Katie dove again and retrieved her bag.

There was no way she was going to be able to come back for a while.

—x—

Swimming back home, she came home to find two guardsmen moving away from her home. Alarmed and wary, her heart clenched tight at what that could mean. Heading inside, she found her mother staring blankly at the wall in front of her. It was the glass image of the family and one of the rare ones they had made in the last recent months. When she saw Katie enter their abode, she darted for her and held her in her arms.

'Mom? Mom! What happened? Why were the guardsmen here?' Katie was trying to keep herself gripped in reality and not fall to hysterics like her mom was slowly becoming. But, her mother was trying her best from losing herself.

When she pulled away so that she could get a look at her, she was astonished to see her eyes were brighter than normal and knew she was on the brink of tears. Mermaids couldn't cry without something dire happening to the counterpart that made up her mate.

Her mom looked hesitant to tell her of what could possibly be the only family she had left about what had happened. But the grief was overwhelming and her fear that something terrible had happened was worsening with each passing minute. Holding Katie's hands, she made a mental sigh that was painful to hear.

'Your father and your brother got into some trouble and were taken by humans. Thankfully, they were blessed by the king to retain the human form for as long as they need, but we aren't sure what happened or why they were taken. No one knows where they have gone and...' she trailed off, her eyes glossing over.

'Mom! Aren't they going to go after them? Isn't the Retrieval Unit going to go after them? Isn't that why the guardsmen were here?!'

'The guardsmen only came to report that they've done all they can.'

In other words, they weren't ever going to find them or had any plans on even retrieving them even if they knew where they were.

After consoling her mother and deciding that she would take this into her own hands, she swam off to the main hub of her city and toward where she knew the Retrieval Unit was headquartered. Taking a small breath, she touched the corded bracelet and felt the familiar shimmering warmth of magic wash over her. Getting closer and closer until she was within distance to see them, she waited in the shadows for her chance.

Her eyes roved over a building similar in structure to what humans would call a police station on Land. The establishment itself had several layers and had bars covering the windows to prevent unwanted visitors from approaching what was normally a secured location. Katie knew better than to try and mess with those. They were often lined with traps and alarms to alert the Unit in case of any intruders to try and gain access to sensitive information. There were several levels to the building and with two entrances to go in and out of it, Katie had to time this carefully to make sure she got in undetected.

She observed their pattern and managed to close the distance when she noted the lack of guardsmen exiting the building. Finding her chance, she snuck inside and began her investigation through the building to find the room where they stored their files.

Darting to and fro to avoid detection without too much water pressure to alert the merman and other mermaids, she hid in corners whenever two or more neared too closer to where she was. She was almost too distracted by the evading that she nearly missed the room she was looking for. Peeking inside, she grinned.

How lucky—she was in between their shifts that she managed to have their interface of information unmanned for a mere moment. But a mere moment was all she needed when she waved her right arm over the blank wall. The clean and concise script appeared on the wall, requesting her security clearance and she straightened her right arm. Her left hand braced the band and her eyes glowed a vibrant green, tendrils of thin and elegant lines stemmed from it and down her arms toward her fingers. Varying sizes and matching colored green spell circles rotated in differing directions overlaid the script and a lidded and confident smirk appeared when she bypassed their security.

An extremely proficient and perhaps a prodigious magic-user, Katie was not afraid to use her magic to find the information of what she wanted, no matter who and where it was from.

Her fingers flicked through various mental commands, sifting through the information quickly to find what she was looking for. When she found her family's names, she copied the entirety of its contents while her other hand levitated one of the clear glass beads from nearby. Uploading information with the simple flick of her wrist, the duplicated info was sucked directly from the wall and into the bead. The text turned into a steady stream while it changed its form and color. The color began to rapidly dim when the steady stream ended, a wavy and seamless pattern was embedded into a kelp green colored bead. Without further hesitation, she bypassed her own magic security to unlink her bracelet to place the bead into place.

Her one of soon to be many "mission accomplished," she returned her arm to the wall and with a few precise finger gestures, she restored the protocols into its rightful place and left behind her own little signature backdoor spell in case she needed to come back. Once the wall dimmed and her bracelet secured, she let her magic shimmer over her form just as two mermen approached the room. Darting to a corner by the opening, she waited until they cleared the space before zooming out of it herself.

Now it was time to see where her father and brother were last seen.

—x—

After swimming out to the desolate and deserted wreckage of what Katie could only discern as what humans called a "yacht," she ducked into its cabin to hide from view while she viewed the information. It was only when it was secure did she begin to pour over the contents. After several hours of reading and rereading the information that was taken, she decided it was time to go and both have her dreams come true and find her family.

Returning home briefly to find her mother dozing, she uttered a silent goodbye and "I love you" before she turned and swam away.

By the time she reached where the edges of her home and the beginning of the humans, it was dark. Ducking by the pier, she glanced toward the shore where there were a few people meandering out and about on the moonlit filled night. Mostly traveling in pairs, she watched from a distance until the people slowly thinned out and there was no one left on the beach. While trying to avoid the possible onlookers that looked on from their buildings, she submerged until she was at the beach where she had dropped off Keith. Getting close enough so she was still in the water and on the sand, she touched her bracelet and focused her magic to elicit the ancient change.

At first, it was her scales, disappearing slowly over time as it faded into a soft and pale skin color like a part of her was. And then her magic latched onto her, sucking away her strength until she was forced to close her eyes.


End file.
